Broken
by Made of Lilies
Summary: Bran Stark is a cripple; a broken boy. He knows he will never walk, he will never run. He might never father children, he might never experience the fulfillment of being loved by someone. All of that he knows and yet he cannot help but hope that the one person that has always stood by his side, will continue to do so forever.
1. Something to Hold on To

The cold is harsh and bleak. Their surroundings either frozen or dead already. He can sense winter is approaching. Now more than ever their fortune seems gloom-ridden. He has made a terrible mistake; that he's very much aware of. He has acted foolishly but he could not help it. There was something keeping him there. _Was it curiosity? Was it his thirst for taking in as much as he possibly could? Was it that the power was overbearing for him? He did not know, he could not tell._

It had been an intoxicating feeling. Seeing, knowing. He had been warned warned many times indeed but yet he chose to ignore the dangers. How witless he had stood. Now they had lost everything. The only man that had offered him true guidance and assistance was dead and so were all the people that had given their lives protecting him. _Hodor, the sweet giant._ How loyal he had been, never leaving him once.

All those people he has let down miserably. They all died - for what? He is a lost cause. He has known it from day one. They all said these things; how they believed in him, how great the power he beholds truly is. If he's truly that great, then why has he never been able to protect them? He cannot even protect himself. He still depends on Meera for the simplest of tasks. _Meera._ The Reed girl. How loyal and dear she has stood all this time by his side. She gave up her old life and has lost so much in this story. The best years of her life, her brother. Her family may not even be alive. She should be home now, living the life every other girl - woman by now- would be entitled to.

She would probably have been wed by now to a man truly worth of her. Perhaps they would even have a couple children by now. But instead here she is; stuck with him in the middle of nowhere. Darkness and doom being the only things in their path.

If only he could do something to protect her. To offer her all she really deserves. But he cannot for he is weak; he is broken. A mistake of a man. Even if they do make it south -which he truly doubts- nothing will really change. He is still weak and pitiful and he will always remain this way.

"What are you thinking?" her voice is soft as always but still manages to disturb the sheer, absolute silence that surrounded them. She must have noticed he was off.

"Nothing important." he replies coarsely, dryly and it hurts him. She does not deserve his grumpiness.

"I fear you are a terrible liar, my prince." she smirks. _How can she smirk? How can she keep up with that permanent optimism of hers?_

"Don't call me that. I am no prince."

"Of course you are. You will be the one to save us all one day." she doesn't have to raise her eyes and look at him. He knows she's being sincere. But why he cannot comprehend.

"How can you say that?" I am useless. All these people have given their lives to protect me and I could not do a thing to help them. I just laid here hopeless. I am broken, Meera! I can do nothing to protect the people I care for most. This is it. This is the end. I'm all alone." his angry tone fades into misery and her brown eyes regain that look of sympathy that he hates. _He hates being that pitiful in her eyes. He hates to know that every time she looks at him a helpless boy is all she sees._

She approaches steadily, confidently and places a hand on his shoulder. "No, you are not. You have the power to save the whole kingdom from this menace if you learn to use your powers wisely. And you are not alone." her lips form a small quirk.

"We are in the middle of nowhere. Heading home with no guidance, no assistance. Hodor is gone and uncle Benjen is left behind. You can barely even carry me anymore, Meera. I am as naive as a child anymore no matter how I might appear in your eyes." she looks a little hurt at his words. It hasn't dawned on him completely yet how much weight truly lies on her shoulders as well.

"We're alone together I suppose then." she manages to crack another weak smile and her hands run down his back, caressing him comfortingly - forming small circles he can barely feel through the heavy materials of his clothing. "And I know you're not naive. You are no child. I'm very much aware of that. It's difficult, perhaps even impossible. I know. But I also know that we can make it through this together just like we have so many times before."

"And every time we barely made it out alive, always losing someone in the process. Who is next? You?" he casts his eyes away from her. "I can't just lay here, waiting to lose you as well as you struggle to protect me. I can't lose you too." he can feel his eyes fill with tears and blinks furiously to keep them from falling. The last thing he needs is to appear even more feeble.

"Bran. Bran!" she grabs his shoulders to force him to look at her. "We can do this. When have I given up on you to do so now? We stick together." he takes him into her warm embrace. He has grown taller in time and if he could stand he'd be a giant in comparison with her tiny figure - so her narrow chest is barely covering his but he couldn't care any less.

He hasn't felt the comforting embrace of anyone since his mother left Winterfell. It's a feeling he would like to hold on to.

"You are no cripple, Bran! Do not ever say that sort of thing again."

"I am. I'm broken. They all know it. They all quit their faith in me at some point. The only reason you haven't given up on me is because you still see me as a small boy in need of help! That's how pitifyl I am in your eyes." he tries to escape her tight embrace but somehow she overpowers him and clings on.

"Stop saying that. Just stop it." he swears he can see a tear escape her now swollen and welled eyes so he finally stops trying to move away and instead stays still as a pregnant pause follows. The only thing to be heard now is his heavy breathing caused by the weight of her body being so close to him and the sniffing, whimpering sounds she's making.

He does not know what to say; what to do. He just lays back as she has her tiny body pressed against his, holding on for dear life and he slowly, hesitantly embraces her back. He holds her head buried in the crook of his neck. _How odd it feels. Meera; his protector through this dangerous journey now for the first time relying on him for support._

 _He that cannot even help himself._


	2. I Love You

She's laying out the furs, making sure everything is settled for the night. They are soon reaching some village. Nothing fancy or special but it might offer them some kind of accommodation and if they are lucky perhaps even food.

The kills that Meera manages are satisfying; rabbits mostly. The range of animals is not large with these temperatures. There have been some elks occasionally but Meera says she doesn't wish to go after them until she catches one. She insists is is not worth leaving him alone and perhaps even losing her way. So; rabbits it is. It's not like he can complain. She's doing so much for him he can't help but wish he could do something for her as well. _He must owe her his life by now._

She finishes her tasks eventually and approaches him, laying herself right next to him. It is no big deal; it's something both of them are very well accustomed to. She can keep him safe at this proximity and even though he can't admit it, he feeds off her warmth. It is priceless.

Now out of all times he finally plucks up the courage to ask the question that has most bothered his mind in so long. "Meera?" his voice is weak and cracking. _It's probably from the cold_ he thinks.

She opens her eyes that had already closed; her lids heavy with exhaustion. "What is it my prince?" she offers him a faint sleepy smile.

"Would you love me if I were not broken?" he spits out the words in a rather childish manner, like they are nothing and he can notice a look of astonishment disturbing her previously soft and calm features.

"You are not broken, my prince." this is not the answer he expected. This is no answer at all.

"You are not answering my question." he insists and something inside of him screams that he will soon regret this. _After all, what does he think will happen? How should Meera ever look at him this way?_

"I love you **now**." she replies softly and looks into his eyes.

"No. Not in the way you mean it." his eyes avert for once more but she keeps her gaze at him and he can feel her warm breath tickling his nose at this proximity.

"And in what manner do **you** mean it, my prince?" the tiny quirk on her lips never leaves her face.

"I love you. I love you as a man would love a woman. I have been in love with you since the first time I saw you. But clearly you don't really reciprocate my feelings." he glances at her for a moment before turning his gaze back to the ground.

"Just because I cannot throw myself into your arms-" she places a small palm on his chest. He's heavily clothed so the contact is almost lost through the many layers. "-Does not mean that I love you back." she finishes softly, breathtakingly.

He only looks at her dumbfounded; his eyes widened in shock at her statement. A small smile plays on her lips. "I...You..." it feels as if he cannot even speak a human language anymore.

"I love you too." she states without shame or even the least bit of embarrassment as she moves in closer to brush her lips gently on his nose. He doesn't say another thing. _What should he say?_


End file.
